Talking-machine.



W. N. DENNISON.

TALKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.27,1910.

1 ,022, 1 26. Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY which the following ,is a full, clear,

. complete disclosure, reference being had to.

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

WILBURN N. DENNISON, OF MERCHANTVILLE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR '10 VICTOR TALKING MACHINE COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF 'NEW JERSEY.

TALKING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Application filed August 27, 1910. Serial No. 579,200.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. I, WILBURN N. Dunni- SON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Merchantville, county of Camden, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Talking-Machines, 0;

the accompanying drawings.

The main objects of this invention are, to provide in a talking machine a simple and effective joint between a hollow tone arm and a hollow support; to provide "an improved joint between a tone arm and-a hollow. support by which the tone arm will be held yieldingly in position to permit of the free movement thereof, and to avoid rattling; to provide an improved joint between a tone arm and its support in which the tone arm will be readily detachable; and to provide other improvements as will aption; Fig.2 a fragmentary horizontal section of the same yand Fig. 3 a rear elevation, partly in vertical section of the same.

Referring to the drawings, one embodiment of this invention comprises a hollow bracket or support 1, normally vertically arranged and adapted to be secured at its lower end to the usual motor casing of a' This bracket 1 is adapt talking machine. ed to support at its upper end a hollow tone arm 2, with which it communicates, the tone arm 2 being adapted to support at its free end 3 the usual or any suitable sound recorder or re roducer communicating therewith and a apted to coo erate with a rotary record support 4. e interior-of the hollow bracket forms a sound conduit 9, and the upper end 10 of the hollow bracket is open and preferably cylindrical in shape, and is preferably provided with an annular recess 11, in whichis snugly fitted a cylindrical bushing 12, the inner surface of which is preferably flush with the inner surface ofthe bracket. The upper end wall 13 of this bushing is preferablyconcave and in the form of a spherical zone, the center of curvature 14 of which is above the cylindrical upper end of the bracket and coincident with the longitudinal axis thereof.

The inner portion 20 of the tone arm 2 is curved downwardly through aware of 90 degrees and terminates in a downwardly extending open cylindrical end, which is snugly surrounded by a collar 21 fixed thereon by a screw 22 or other suitable means. This collar 21 is preferably provided at its lower end with an inwardly extending annular flange 23, which overlaps and abuts against the lower end wall of the tone arm, and the inner surface of this flan e is preferably flush with the inner sur ace of the tone arm. This collar 21 is preferably of the same outside and inside diameters as the bushing 12 of the bracket 1, and the lower end wall of the collar and its flange is preferably in the form of a convex spherical zone, conforming in shape to the concave spherical end of the bushing 12. A pin or stop projects outwardly from the collar 21, rigidtherewith, and is spaced slightly above the upper end of the support 1 when the tone arm is in operative position.

This stop 24 is adapted to engage against the upper end of the support 1 to limit the downward movement of the tone arm when the arm 18 swung away from the record and is in inoperative position.

For rotatively connecting the tone arm 2 to the bracket 1, the bushing 12 at the upper end of the bracket is provided with a bridge 25, integral or otherwise rigid therewith,

and extending diametrically thei eof. This bridge 25 a erture 26, coaxial with the bushing 12 and a apted to form a bearing-for the lower portion of a cylindrical pivot 27, which projects snugly but slidably therethrough. The upper end of this pivot 27 is preferably diameter,- as at 28, and this rereduced in duced portion fits tightly through a correis provided with a cylindrical sponding aperture in the central portion'of a transverse or horizontally extending, elongated cross-head 29, and is riveted, or otherwise secured in place and preferably rigid therewith. One end of the cross-head 29 'is reduced in'diameter to form a'trunnion 30 coaxial therewith, and the other end of the head is provided axially with a screw 31 threaded therein and forming a trunnion corresponding in size to the trunnionat the ,other end' of the head. These trunnions are in horizontal alinement and fit rotatively in corresponding apertures in the opposite walls of the tone arm 2, re-

longitudinally of the trunnions by the ends of the central portion of the cross-head. The longitudinal axis of the trunnions 30 and 31 intersects the longitudinal axis of the vertical pivot 27 at the center of curvature of the spherical surfaces of the bushing 12 in the upper end of the bracket and the collar 21 of the lower end of the tone arm, whereby as the tone arm is oscillated, either about its horizontal axis through the trunnio'ns or about its vertical axis through the pivot, these spherical surfaces will remain in. sliding contact.

For holding the tone arm yieldingly in position, the lower portion of the pivot 27 which projects beneath the bridge 25 is surrounded by a spiral spring, or other yielding means, 35, which is normally slightly compressed between the lower surface of the bridge 25 and the upper surface of a washer-36, which surrounds the pivot 27 below the spring, and which is held against downward movement with respect to the pivot by a pin 37, extending through the pivot below the washer or by other suitable means.

For minimizing the interruption of sound waves passing through the tone arm andbracket by the pivotal connection'between the tone arm and bracket, the bridge 25 of the bushing 12 is preferably arranged in a vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the vertical plane through the longitudinal axis of the tone arm, when the tone arm is in intermediate operative position, or, in other words, a position substantially midway between its initialoperative position and its final operative position in reproducing sounds from a record, and the elongated cross-head 29 is preferably arranged horizontally, as hereinbefore stated, in a vertical plane perpendicular to the vertical plane through the longitudinal axis of the tone arm 2. By this arrangement the cross-head 29 is at all times, during the operation of the machine, either approximately, or exactly,

in alinement with the bridge 25, and the interruption of the sound waves is therefore minimized. To insure the proper position of the bushing12, to secure this result, a pin or stop'40 is fixed in the upper end of the bracket 1 and projects inwardly and engages a corresponding slot 41 opening in the lower edge of the bushing 12.

In this construction it is evident that the pivotal connection between the tone arm and its bracket or support is located in the sound conduit formed by the tone arm and its hollow support, and is substantially entirely inclosed by the tone arm and support,in the sound conduit formed thereby;- that the tone arm may be removed from its supporting cross-head 29 by removing the screw or removable trunnion 31; and that the bushing 12 and pivot 27 are readily removable from the bracket 1.

The yielding pressure exerted by the spring 35 to hold the parts of this device together is preferably only sutficient'for this purpose, leaving the tone arm 2 practically free to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the pivot and also about the horizontal axis of the cross-head 29. The pressure of the spring 35, however, is s'uflicient to prevent any rattling between the relatively movable parts of the joint and to maintain a close fitting connection between the tone arm and the bracket, whereby there will be no leakage of sound waves, and the joint will have a high degree of efficiency.

Although only a single form has been described in which this invention may be embodied,it is obvious that the invention might be applied in other constructions than the one described, and that various changes might be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described this invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. The combination with a hollow support having an open end, of a tone arm having an open end communicating withthe open end of said support, a pivot connected to said tone arm, a bushing in the open end of said support, a bearing carried by said bushing in which said ivot is rotatively supported and normally longitudinally movable, and yielding means surrounding said pivot and cooperating with said bearing for holding said tone arm in place.

2. The combination with a hollow support having an open end, of a tone arm having an open end communicating with the open end of said support, a bushing in the open end of said support, pivot means between said tone arm and said bushing for holding said tone arm movably in position, a collar fixed around theopen end of said tone arm and having a lower end wall substantiallyin the form of a spherical zone, the upper end wall of said bushing being shaped to conform to the lower end wall of said collar, and yielding means surrounding said pivot means and cooperating with said bushing for holding said end walls in sliding contact with each other.

3. The combination'with a bracket constitutinga sound conveying tube throughout its entire extent, of a washer snugly fitted within one end and having a concave outer end wall, a bridge within said washer and in rigid engagement therewith, a tone arm having an open end in alinement with the open end of said bracket, a sleeve snugly fitted around the open end portion of said tone arm and having a convex outer end wall, said washer and sleeve being in alinement and slidable contact with each other, a crosshead within said tone arm and in pivotal engagement therewith, a pivotpin rigid with said cross-head and in slidable engagement with said bridge, and resilient means surrounding said pivotfor yieldingly maintaining said sleeve and washer in frictional contact with each other.

4. The combination with a bracket constituting a sound conveying tube throughout its entire extent, of 'a washer snugly fitted within one end and having a concave outer end wall, a bridge within said washer and in rigid engagement therewith, a tone arm having an open end in alinement with the open end of said bracket, a sleeve snugly fitted around the open end portion of said tone arm and having a convex outer end wall, said washer and sleeve being in alinement and slidablecontact with each other, a crosshead within said tone arm and in pivotal engagement therewith, and a pivot-pin rigid with said cross-head and in slidable engagement with said bridge.

5. The combination with a bracket constituting a sound conveying tube throughout its entire extent, of a washer snugly fitted within one end, a bridge within said washer and in rigid engagement therewith, a tone arm having an open end-in alinement with the open end of said bracket, a sleeve snugly fitted around the open end portion of said tone arm, said washer and sleeve being in alinement and slidabledontaet with each other. a cross-head within said tone arm and in pivotal engagement therewith, and a pivot-pin rigid with said cross-head and in slidable engagement with said bridge.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of August A. 1)., 1910.

W'ILBURN N. DENNISON.

Witnesses i DEAN S. RENWICK, CHARLES T. VILLARD. 

